The exile experience | DP camp era

WORLD'S YMCA/YWCA - BRITISH ZONE

History of work

for Ex-Prisoners of War and Displaced Persons

The shortness of time does not allow me to prepare this story in the way in which it should be done, but anyway it is a good material for the work which must be carried on in the future. Please estimate this work as such.

J. Bednarek

Contents

1

AID PRISONERS OF WAR - WORK FOR DP'S AND PWX

The spring of has brought the end of war in Germany and liberation for millions of people who were living in the war prisoner, concentration and labour camps.

That enormous people, drunk with regained freedom and happy for that moment, had started their peregrination in order to get back into their homes and countries, or to search for each other or simply to enjoy the possibility of free moving, limited for such a long period.

After a few weeks of that chaos the situation began to be stabilized more and more.

Masses of war prisoners and labourers coming from near western countries had returned home rather quickly. Others, deported from the East who had to wait, ceased their peregrination and got settled in new camps formed for them.

The feeling of joy and happiness of first liberation days gradually vanishes - the every day life in the camp with all its anxieties and first of all the anxiety about future life fills their minds.

The lack of work and occupation, causing an excess of leisure time, makes the position worse and the mixture of characters of different and moral levels of camps also makes for unhappiness.

Under such circumstances UNRRA comes to its work in Germany as an organization to take care of the problems of these millions of people.

The question of DP's and PWX never met before to such a great extent, was something for the YMCA to handle.

The YMCA has had already experience in work with millions of war prisoners in the camps during the time from Sept. 1939 till May in supplying them with materials and organizing activities in education, culture, sport and recreation.

On the other hand 'Y' secretaries of different nationality, especially from Polish YMCA started the work in the DP camps for 2 the period of May to July 1945, by their own initiative. Polish YMCA has set up three travelling Teams and provided them with cars. These Teams visited the DP and PWX camps in three Zones making distribution of food, cigarettes, school and sport supplies from its own or World's stores.

The first information about the camps, people, general situation and needs came from those Teams.

In July 1945, while UNRRA started its operations in Germany the World's Committee of YMCA made an official proposal of cooperative services to DP's and PWX as the continuation of work carried on for prisoners of war. The World's YMCA also decided to join this service.

The share of WORLD's YMCA/YWCA service has been determined as follows:

The YMCA/YWCA desire to provide personnel, supplies and experience in conducting activities for the recreational, educational, cultural and spiritual benefit of ex-prisoners of war and displaced persons in Germany.

This service would represent a continuation of YMCA/YWCA service to Allied prisoners of war in Germany conducted from October, 1939, to May 1945, by neutral representatives of the organization visiting prisoner of war camps, organising activities and providing supplies of recreational, educational and spiritual nature for individuals and the camps as a whole. It is therefore the desire of the YMCA/YWCA and of the National War Fund in the USA, which provides a notable portion of the funds for the proposed work, that priority should be given to camps in which ex-prisoners of war predominate, even though now classified as displaced persons, without, however, limiting YMCA/YWCA services to ex-prisoners of war only within such camps. Service would be extended additionally to camps in which there are few ex-prisoners of war in so far as resources in personnel, supplies and funds permit.

Proposed activities would have as their purpose the establishing and carrying through, under the supervision and coordination of UNRRA, a programme of recreational cultural, educational and spiritual activities, which would tend to maintain morale, adjust men and women, boys and girls, in these camps, to the exigencies of camp life, and prepare them by instruction, voluntary activities and self discipline for their chosen future livelihood. YMCA/YWCA activities of this character require trained personnel, proper organization of programme and suitable supplies.

1.    Personnel    The YMCA/YWCA would furnish staff members to enter at work in these camps and in the operation of YMCA supply depots, all of whom would be qualified by regular YMCA or YWCA staff experienced and some of them with special experience in camps for prisoners of war, 3 ex-prisoners of war or displaced persons.

Responsibility for the various types of activities in each camp would be largely placed in the hands of selected displaced persons, taking advantage of persons who were active and experienced members of the YMCA or YWCA in their own countries, and of other suitable persons.

2.    Programme.    Within each camp the programme would include such elements as the following:
Sport: team games football, volley ball, basket ball, soft ball, etc.

3.    Supplies.    Supplies would be provided for the activities directed by YMCA/YWCA personnel, including books in various languages for studying courses and library, paper, pencils and other school room material for simple and technical courses, theatrical equipment, musical instruments, cinema, radio, etc. Several hundred tons of these supplies are available in YMCA depots in Luebeck, Gothenburg (Sweden), Geneva and Paris, and more can be procured through YMCA channels in Sweden and Switzerland. Two hundred "standard units", each consisting of six cases (Annex A) are now ready packed at Gothenburg. Specialized supplies include school books and classics published by the YMCA in Switzerland, France and USA in the Polish, Russian and Serbian languages, also YMCA correspondence school courses in Russian and Polish prepared in Paris; equipment for manual training.

By August 9th, 1945, the proposal of World's YMCA/YWCA had been accepted by Combined DP Executive and a few days afterwards the World's YMCA/YWCA signed a common contract as one of 8 Voluntary Societies cooperating with UNRRA.

On the 5th of Sept., 1945 the first World's YMCA/YWCA secretaries went to the work in the field. 4

The man who opened that new page in the history of YMCA work was Mr. Paul B. Anderson↗, Deputy General Secretary of Northwest Europe War Prisoners' Aid of World's YMCA.

Brief chronological story of development

Organization and technic of work.

The organization of a work in the British Zone is based on the work of Teams and H.Q. A Team consists of 2 - 3 Field Secretaries, one of them is the Team's Leader.

Besides the Field Secretaries; who are the official representatives 6 of YMCA/YWCA in their area, almost each Team have workers like: drivers, cinema operators, storekeepers etc., who are either LP's or PWX and as PCLU workers are helping us. The Teams are keeping an office, a store and have their own transport.

The Teams are organizing the work in their area and co-operating with UNRRA and other organization working there.

The work of Teams is that they are visiting DP and PWX camps and helping in the organization of spiritual, educational, physical educational and leisure time activities, according to YMCA ideology. They are giving material help such as supplying with various kind of material and equipment.

According to the motto:  "Service to others:  for people by people"  the various groups, committees, classes, clubs etc. are organized within the camps. These groups are responsible for YMCA/YWCA activities and equipment. The work is kept in close co-operation with UNRRA and other organizations Welfare Officers.

The Field Secretaries Conferences which are organized approximately every three months and monthly Regional Representatives Meetings are giving possibilities to YM/YW secretaries for enriching knowledge, sharing thinking and experiences and for friendship among the members of the staff.

Speaking about the organization of work in the British Zone, I would like to mention the name of Mr. R.L. Thomas, the present National Director for Germany, who created this organization and settled the co-operation between the YMCA/YWCA Teams and UNRRA.
 

The visits of the members of World's Committee, Senior Representative All Services in Germany, National Director for Germany and other Zone Directors give the opportunity for our secretaries to meet the Leaders of our Movement and to get information about the work of all world.

The following map shows the area of Teams YMCA/YWCA in the British Zone. 7

Area of YMCA/YWCA in the British Zone

Programme and activity

The time of the World's YMCA/YWCA operating in the British Zone, as to the feeling and atmosphere prevailing among the DP's and PWX, seems to be divided in three periods and each of them could be characterised in short as follows:

First period: Sept, 1945. - Jan, 1946
Inactivity. Excess of free time. Lack of interests in anything.

Second period: Febr. - Dec. 1946
Atmosphere of resignation and apathy. Slight appearance of first interests.

Third period: Jan. 1947 till now
Bad food situation. Serious anxiety about the future. Overcome of inactivity. Increase of interests.

Always making efforts in adjusting our activity to the needs and tasks of the present, while we had to use in the first place those ways of acting which seemed to be efficacious as a part of our working programme.

The main task for the first period was to create an occupation for the people and to reduce their "free time" as much as possible, When solving this problem YMCA/YWCA took a considerable role in it, supplying the camps with materials and equipment of a hundred tons. With the supplies came training courses and demonstrations in the use of these supplies.

There was a great share in that work rendered by the mobile cinema and theatrical section of Polish YMCA, cooperating with World's YMCA/YWCA Teams.

Social rooms, reading rooms and libraries, gathering few youngsters in the beginning gradually filled up. There was an example of that kind of work in the Assembly Centre at Fallingbostel where 12 social rooms were acting for a population of 25,000 till the camps were disbanded.

Here is an extract from Fallingbostel camp newspaper of 11 Oct. 1945, where they write about the opening of such a social room:

"In the building, where cook-house No 3, first social room was consecrated and opened. In the room nicely decorated there came for the celebration: YMCA representatives, and many invited guests. Rev. [C]anon addressed as first. Rev. Werblinski underlined the meaning of good 9 recreation and - necessity of social rooms for the camp. Prayers have been said, consecration made, Maj. Skwarnicki spoke next. He is the President of the YMCA Committee. The opening of this social room decorated and arranged by YMCA ... said major ... is of great importance and meaning. It is not the matter of the room for dancing, but and before all, it is the matter of home which could help us in surviving these difficult and not sure times. Social and cultural life which is to start here will smooth our longing for the country, will dissipate bad mood and it will not allow us to loose our riches. Those riches are: song, Polish thought and word. We must draw handfuls from this from this great treasure - Polish culture - to assert us in Polish spirit so as it fed us in the time of prisonership and contempt. Co-operation, common life and providing of youth with possibility of decent recreation such are the aims for this social room. With this Christian and Polish spirit came YMCA to help us. I wish this new place to meet with success - concludes maj. and hope that each of us will here leave a part of himself, a part of his share.

Mr. Ropejko as the leader of cultural and educational section told shortly about difficulties met in the camps in connection with book, material being short. He pointed out all these endeavors necessary to open the first reading rooms. The life itself demanded something more and YMCA came at this time with help so as it came with most efficient help to the camps behind barbed wires, I hope - concluded Mr. Ropejko that is the first step will lead to others and YMCA's help in men and in material will not stop. This celebration will not be the last and for what we have got already we thank YMCA.

The celebration was closed with two Polish melodies executed by the YMCA - orchestra.

The general situation, needs and purpose of the work in the camps regarding the second period of time have been characterized by a report of Team No 1 of February, 1946.

Task and scope of the work in DP and PWX camps

Taking into consideration characteristics and observations made at different camps, the following are the real needs of camp communities:

To respond to the above mentioned needs, to smooth them or better to remove then, is the real aim of our work in DP and PWX camps.

The tasks as formulated by points are:

During this period, special stress was emphasised on the training of various kinds of Leaders. There were organised, among other things the following important courses:

Special attention must be given to the International Training Course for YMCA/YWCA leaders. I would like to say a little more about it.

The Training Centre started on 12th November and functioned for a period of three weeks. The aim of the course was as follows:

198 students attended the course; they came from all parts of the British Zone. The various nationalities were represented as follows:

On the programme were the following subjects: YWCA history, principles and organization of YMCA/YWCA and UNNRA, religious education and character building, cultural and educational work, social and recreational activities, youth groups, physical education, etc.

We tried to avoid too much theories and the practical side of the work and activities was specially emphasized. The students elected a "students' Government" which was made responsible for the order and discipline in the school. A very large field of initiative and responsibility was left to the students; they organized the decoration, etc. of the recreation rooms, they led discussion groups, set up theatre performances, a choir, an orchestra, directed their sports activities. A library containing books covering various fields of interests was made available to the students. A handicraft shop was also set up for spare time activities. Artistic groups of various nationalities visited the school and gave performances. Lectures and demonstrations were given by representatives of the World's YMCA/YWCA, the British YMCA asd YWCA, and the Polish YMCA. A catholic priest, a protestant and an orthodox paster stayed at the school during the three weeks and directed the religious services.

After the completion of the course every student had to pass an examination and answer a questionnaire. On graduation, the results of the examination, the notes and the behaviour of students, was taken into consideration. 12

The other activities are as follows:

I would like to draw a special attention to the last activity mentioned, because last year we had three summer camps which were operating in different parts of the British Zone and to which gathered hundreds of boys and girls, who spent the time in suitable conditions.

Here is an extract from "Summer Camp" Report:

"We tried in our camping - through common work, sports and games, community songs, excursions and other forms of camp activities to refresh the people, at first physically, and then spiritually.

Our YMCA camps have always a recreational and an educational character. I should say, in peace tiem - before the war - the first hall-mark (recreational character) was greater. The object was to let each camper more freetime to organize his camp life for himself. Now, we paid more attention to this second character - to the educational work. So, we engaged them mere with a carefully organized programme. This was not only because we had a lot of children - very young people -who needed to be more influenced, but especially because we had to "cram" more into these young people how to organize their life and work later in their DP camps. A lot of those little boys and girls had in their life to little — some no - opportunity to have a well organized youth life. Their lack of a developed sense for sport activities, recreational work and organizations in general, was obvious. Because of this, we engaged them more with an intensive programme.

The best way to get a clear picture about the life in a camp is to run through its daily programme.

1.  We started our daily camp routine with "Reveille" at 7 o'clock in the morning. The Duty leader having always to pass through all tents to see if everyone had heard his whistle. The Chief leader, and the Staff personnally, had also to help the Duty leader and leaders with their personal appearances and proper examples, and other indirect 13 manners, to carry the programme in the correct way, building an atmosphere of self-discipline and respect for camp orders.

2.  Five minutes later all campers had to be ready for the "roll call". At a signal given by the Duty leader all the campers had to come from their tents in the quickest possible way to the meeting place prearranged, where they carried out physical training, for some 10-15 minutes.

3.  After the physical training the campers had to go (again at the double), by teams, to the lakes for washing. From the beginning we took special care to the cleanness. Not only because of health and sanitary reasons, but particularly because of educoational effcct. We explained to the campers several times the old experience: "The man who is clean outside - is also clean inside" - in his sole [sic.], and thus his character.

4.  After washing came the dressing and bed making. Again we gave particular attention to the cleaness, quickness and simplicity.

5.  At 7,50 came the hoisting of flags. This was a kind of solemn opening of the daily work. We started it with a short ceremony expressing our deep foiling and respect to the symbols of our community. Then, when the flags were "in the sky" we continued in our thoughts further - through the sky - to God - with a prayer (Pater noster) which was recited by a camper from the duty team loudly for all to hear and everyone prayed silently for himself.

6.  At 8 o'clock we had breakfast. There were two dining rooms - two large tents - one for the boys and other for girls and management. Most of the furniture for these tents being built by the campers. The dining room at meal times, was the best place where the campers and the leaders especially, could get a concrete picture of what was meant by "organized service". Every team had to know its table, every camper his place; We had meals five times daily: at 8, 10,30, 12,30 17 and 19,30 hours - good food and in sufficient quantities.

7.  After breakfast started the "housework": The campers had to tidy themselves, their tents and the surrounding of their tents. In the meantime we held a meeting of the leaders, so that the assistants of leaders (chosen between the team personnel themselves) were left in charge for this important work. From time to time we made inspections of the camp. This was a series of competitions of cleaness and hygenical conditions.

8.  Everyday after the breakfast we had a leaders meeting. We discussed together the daily programme, stressing particular attention to some current details. 14

9.  Camp work - Voluntary work; We are convinced firmly in the old saying that "work is one of the best morolizers". Physical work was always included in our daily programmes. In the "permanent camps", which are already built, this work was started immediately as voluntary work. But in the camps, which the campers had to build - like ours - the work started in the early days with some kind of "work services" for camp necessities, and later - it became really voluntary work.

10.  After the second breakfast (10,30 a.m.) had some short courses of special interest or lectures. Groups for a choir, theatre, first aid, wood carving, painting, modeling (plastelin), some elemental knowledge about nature (mushrooms, trees etc.); YMCA/YWCA history, organization, general aims and special tasks during the war and after with DP's.

11.  Games, sports, light athletics. Games were the base of our programme. It was what the children like mostly. It was, also, what we appreciated mostly, as recreational and educational activity. We wished, at first, to have our campers sound. And to refresh them physically, we had to play with them. We wanted our campers to have a harmonical spiritual and moral life. And, again, we had to play with them, because the best base for a sound and happy spiritual life is physical training - games and sports. We wished to develop a sense of self-discipline and self-education in our campers, then, again, we had to play with them, because that was the easiest and best way to do it; through play we stimulate their sense of initiative, self-confidence, sacrifice and endurance; for discipline, werthness [sic.], loyality, good mood, comradeship and a social sense - and really, for all that you could wish! The best way to see the character of children was to play with them. And the best way to correct them aas to correct them in their play. We put all efforts to stimulate their sense of fair play and sport spirit, trying to show them in a practical way that these two qualities are the best signess of a golden character.

12.  After lunch (12,45 am) we had a rest time (from 1,30 -2,30 pm).

13.  From 2,30 pm until 5 pm was the time determinated for bathing and swimming, excursions and games also. After bathing, a short time remained to start again the sport life with refreshed willingness until the "Tea-time".

14.  Every "fresh day" we sent half of campers (sometimes all) on a short excursions. It is an old experience in working with the children that it is necessary at first to awake their sense for rambling. 15

15.  Between the tea and supper (from 5 pm until 7,30 pm) came the time for special sport competitions. It was already mentioned that we organized most of camp activities through competitions. But the especially organized competitions have always given a particular vivacity to camp life. Those, our evening competitions, were the best demonstrations, and model propaganda for different sports. With them we finished our daily programme - again - with tempo and elan!

16.  At 7,30 pm was a meeting at the flags, - a short ceremony at the ending of our "daily" programme. A few short practical remarks during the daily work - and, then away to supper.

17.  Playing was the main object in our programme. The camp fire was the second. Camp fire! This was the moment when the good mood and the humor of campers were highest, the moment when they mostly enjoyed their comradeship singing together, acting, dancing, putting on small shows, joking etc . . . - always entertaining each other, enjoying themselves together! This is the moment, which these different people will remember first, when they later remember their camping.

18.  Each camp fire programme we finished eith "Idzie noe" a nice song similar to an introduction to the prayer in our YMCA summer camps. Then we had two minutes silence, when everybody prayed for himself, directing his last thoughts to God. Fifteen minutes later -there was a silence in the camp - the campers were sleeping, all -except the leaders."

The third period in which we still are is characterized by one of our secretaries as follows:

Two thoughts dominate the minds of all the DP's at the moment. The first one is food. About a month ago we heard the first serious complaints about the rations, which we attributed to transport difficulties caused by the weather and we expected an improvement when the roads would be clear again and spring would come. Well, spring has come, but the situation has aggravated, instead improved. In many camps the 'Y' leaders told us, that they had tried to start the activities, but they had to give up again because their people were simply too weak and hungry to play a game which requires any amount of physical efforts, and too worried about feeding their family and themselves to be interested in anything else.

The second dominating thought is resettlement. The rumours have crystallized into realities, like forms to be filled in, talks about the rates of pay to be expected, the kind of labour needed, and so on. This has caused a good deal of excitement and turned their minds from present to the future. This also will affect our work very soon and may have to change our plans and to adapt ourselves 16 if we want to remain effective.

In this period these same activities as before were conducted, but the special attention wasgiven to the YM/YW groups in the camps. We note also an increase in the religious and spiritual activities since the arrival of the representatives «f the World's Council of Churches.

As an example of what the YMCA/YWCA groups are doing, below is statistic from one of our Team Areas.

STATISTICS OF YMCA/YWCA COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

March 1947.

16 Committees have submitted reports according to which there are:

Group        Activities

18
Personnel

In the period from 1st September, 1945 up to now we had 72 workers who had represented 10 nations in the British Zone.

At present the strength of our personnel is 42 plus all the DP's in the approximate number of 70 who are helping us in our activities.

The following persons have rendered services in the British Zone:

Relationship with UNRRA

Co-operation and relations with the representatives of UNRRA based on a deep understanding of purposes and duties, on respect to each other in the point of view of useful reciprocity were very satisfactory.

We were very lucky having at the British Zone UNRRA HQ such persons as Maj. Gen. Fanshawe, Col. Wood, Col. Dawson, Miss Wood, Miss Sporks, Miss Stoll and many others, who have encouraged and helped us at anytime and everywhere.

Below are the opinion of UNRRA officials about the co-operation with the YMCA/YWCA.

Gen. E. Fanshawe, CB, CBE, British Zone Director:

"All my life I have lived in Barracks or in Camps in various parts of the British Empire".

"One of the most outstanding features in my Military life has been the wonderful work done by the YMCA/YWCA for the soldier and his family. I can never praise your work adequately".

"Since I have been with UNRRA I have again been most struck by the wonderful work you have done and are doing for the unfortunate displaced persons. We could never have carried on without your help.

"May God assist you in your great task. And may I thank you on behalf of UNRRA".

Col. Wood, DSO, Ass. Dir. Field Ops.

"YMCA/YWCA have been in very close contact with UNRRA and have worked under the UNRRA umbrella".

"They have not only just taken any advantage they can get from UNRRA, but they have given everything to UNRRA. I hear that on all sides. You have worked with and for UNRRA, and we are very grateful to you for the help you have given to us. You had the leadership training course and summer camps. I have had no chance to visit them, but heard all about then from the UNRRA Teams. Those camps gave such a chance to the young people among the DPs and ve feel that you have helped us considerably in our task".

Col. R.W.P. Dawson, DSO. Assist. Dir. Field Ops.

"... I appreciate very deeply indeed the work which you are planning for the future in this conference."

"... Your programme for the next few months is of major importance therefore. Particularly your stress on leadership and bringing out the moral qualities among the young. Your insistence on fitness, in all senses - and particularly the senses which your own emblem typifies and expresses - must be the first aim for all of us and it certainly is - we know - yours."

"I look forward very much to spending another week-end or many week-ends in one of the camps with you in the Summer. It will be one of the best things that will happen to me in the coming Summer and I hope that you will plan a very good camping season."

"Your work in the Assembly Centres, I do not need to stress its importance, You know it as well as I do."

"UNRRA and all services of UNNRA are entirely behind you in all you are doing and we do want to help in every possible way and constantly I can assure you that everything you do will be with bur very best wishes and most sincere thanks."

From our side we wish to emphasise that all our plans have always met with a great friendness of the UNRRA representatives and its realization has been at once supported by all the means they have used to have to their disposal.

It is rather difficult to mention and name all the people who have helped us so efficiently in our activities as the list would be much too long - anyway we must point out that thanks to the help of UNRRA officials and through our hard work we have reached the success and satisfaction of being useful to those who have mostly needed the support and assistance.

Relation with other V.S.

All the Voluntary Societies working in the British Zone have different sort of interest, sphere of activity and carring out of their work, nevertheless our co-operation and relation with them was always very good. Our organization was in the nearest connexion and co-operation with the British Red Cross, P.R.C., and A.P.W.R.

Co-operation with Polish YMCA

We would like to mention the co-operation with the Polish YMCA which theatre and concert groups and Mobile cinema units gave hundreds of shows and performances for thousands of DP's and PWX. Our old friends, Mr. T. Swierczynski, Mr. T. Zawadzki and Mr. J. Olesinski have done their utmost to help us. Many, many thanks.